tagged w/ cost
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Is British Petroleum’s accidental terrorism, born from greed and incompetence, worse than the intentional terrorism that took down the two World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001 ?
In 1962 the Bald Eagles were vanishing, and Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring warned America about the dangers of DDT – helping spark the environmental movement. But the Deepwater Horizon oil well blowout needs no book.
Despite bizarre efforts by British Petroleum and subservient Coast Guard units to prevent mainstream media from bringing images of the slow-motion, apocalyptic disaster to the American people, news will get out. Here’s why:
BP’s oil well disaster is far worse than Hurricane Katrina. It is far worse than 9-11. It is worse than the Oklahoma Dust Bowl of the 1930’s.
The human costs of the disaster will be horrendous. But the environmental costs will be incalculably worse, and in a way that average Americans can comprehend.
British Petroleum has just staged, accidentally, one of the most radically destructive acts of political theater in recorded human history, a tragedy of vast proportions that will probably change our lives: in the end for the better, I hope…
But, in the short run, it will be grim. See, every year in the Spring countless bird species migrate north, and US Gulf Coast marshes and estuaries are a major feeding point for that energy-intensive trek. So, our backyards will probably get quieter this year and stay quieter for a long, long time.
Consider this picture of an “oilbird.”
Now, think of seeing this picture every day, over and over and over and over and over again.
For years, maybe.
Now think of countless media interviews of shattered Gulf Coast lives, families driven into poverty from the oil-driven collapse of Gulf Coast tourism and fishing industries.
The Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster wreaked havoc along the sparsely-populated Alaska shoreline but the BP oil apocalypse, which is Exxon Valdez X10, X100 — who knows how much bigger, is spewing crude oil into one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, America’s most bounteous seafood-producing region, one of America’s three coastlines.
If we are lucky, the oil won’t get sucked, also, into Atlantic currents and wind up on East Coast beaches. But what is more likely is that Hurricanes will pick up oil-tainted water and drop it all over the US South.
That is the world that the fossil fuel industry has foisted on us: a bit of hell, brought to Earth.
This year, the Republican Party is fielding many candidates who espouse radical free-market positions which justify the actions of corporations such as British Petroleum. Rand Paul, Arthur Robinson, and other GOP candidates represent a hellish fusion of religious and libertarian ideology which justifies BP’s trashing of an entire region of America.
In 2004 Arthur Robinson, running on the GOP ticket for Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, proposed dumping oil and nuclear waste at sea. In 2010 Rand Paul, nominated to run as a GOP candidate for a Kentucky US Senate seat, shrugs off oil and coal disasters and claims the Obama Administration is being too tough on BP. That’s the extent to which Republican Party ideology is now wildly disconnected from the experience of average Americans.
British Petroleum might as well have set off several mid-sized thermonuclear weapons. The Deepwater Horizon catastrophe wasn’t terrorism, as such, because it wasn’t intentional.
But tell that to the victims.Is British Petroleum’s accidental terrorism, born from greed and incompetence,... more
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Clip 5,
• Albert Torcaso surprises himself by telling Congress that they will pass the bill! Whoa did I just say that?
• Well, from a legal stand point the American right to petition Congress to pass this or any bill this right is a right in the Bill Of Rights in fact it’s the first amendment.
• Dave Ninehouser tells us how to attend the vital event.Clip 5,
• Albert Torcaso surprises himself by telling Congress that they will... more
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Without public debate and without congressional hearings, a segment of the Pentagon and fellow travelers have embraced a doctrine known as the Long War.
March 31, 2010 |
Without public debate and without congressional hearings, a segment of the Pentagon and fellow travelers have embraced a doctrine known as the Long War, which projects an "arc of instability" caused by insurgent groups from Europe to South Asia that will last between 50 and 80 years. According to one of its architects, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan are just "small wars in the midst of a big one."
Consider the audacity of such an idea. An 80-year undeclared war would entangle 20 future presidential terms stretching far into the future of voters not yet born. The American death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan now approaches 5,000, with the number of wounded a multiple many times greater. Including the American dead from 9/11, that's 8,000 dead so far in the first decade of the Long War. And if the American armed forces are stretched thin today, try to conceive of seven more decades of combat.
The costs are unimaginable too. According to economists Joseph E. Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes, Iraq alone will be a $3-trillion war. Those costs, and the other deficit spending of recent years, yield "virtually no room for new domestic initiatives for Mr. Obama or his successors," according to a New York Times budget analysis in February. Continued deficit financing for the Long War will rob today's younger generation of resources for their future.
The term "Long War" was first applied to America's post-9/11 conflicts in 2004 by Gen. John P. Abizaid, then head of U.S. Central Command, and by the retiring chairman of the Joint Chiefs of State, Gen. Richard B. Myers, in 2005.
According to David Kilcullen, a top counterinsurgency advisor to Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and a proponent of the Long War doctrine, the concept was polished in "a series of windowless offices deep inside the Pentagon" by a small team that successfully lobbied to incorporate the term into the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review, the nation's long-term military blueprint. President George W. Bush declared in his 2006 State of the Union message that "our own generation is in a long war against a determined enemy."
The concept has quietly gained credence. Washington Post reporter-turned-author Thomas E. Ricks used "The Long War" as the title for the epilogue of his 2009 book on Iraq, in which he predicted that the U.S. was only halfway through the combat phase there.
It has crept into legal language. Federal Appeals Court Judge Janice Rogers Brown, a darling of the American right, recently ruled in favor of holding detainees permanently because otherwise, "each successful campaign of a long war would trigger an obligation to release Taliban fighters captured in earlier clashes."
Among defense analysts, Andrew J. Bacevich, a Vietnam veteran who teaches at Boston University, is the leading critic of the Long War doctrine, criticizing its origins among a "small, self-perpetuating, self-anointed group of specialists" who view public opinion "as something to manipulate" if they take it into consideration at all.
The Long War has momentum, though the term is absent from the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review unveiled by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in February. One commentator has noted the review's apparent preference for finishing "our current wars before thinking about the next."
Still we fight wars that bleed into each other without clear end points. Political divisions in Iraq threaten to derail the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops scheduled for 2012.
As troop levels decline in Iraq, they grow to 100,000 in Afghanistan, where envoy Richard C. Holbrooke famously says we'll know success "when we see it." The Afghan war has driven Al Qaeda into Pakistan, where U.S. intelligence officers covertly collaborate with the Pakastani military. Lately our special forces have stepped up covert operations in Yemen.
It never ends. British security expert Peter Neumann at King's College has said that Europe is a "nerve center" of global jihad because of underground terrorists in havens protected by civil liberties laws. Could that mean NATO will have to occupy Europe?
It's time the Long War strategy was put under a microscope and made the focus of congressional hearings and media scrutiny. The American people deserve a voice in the strategizing that will affect their future and that of their grandchildren. There are at least three important questions to address in public forums:
* What is the role of the Long War idea in United States' policy now? Can the Pentagon or president impose such war-making decisions without debate and congressional ratification?
* Who exactly is the enemy in a Long War? Is Al Qaeda (or "Islamic fundamentalism") considered to be a unitary enemy like the "international communist conspiracy" was supposed to be? Can a Long War be waged with only a blanket authorization against every decentralized group lodged in countries from Europe to South Asia?
* Above all, what will a Long War cost in terms of American tax dollars, American lives and American respect in the world? Is it sustainable? If not, what are the alternatives?
President Obama has implied his own disagreement with the Long War doctrine without openly repudiating the term. He has pledged to remove all U.S. troops from Iraq by 2012, differing with those like Ricks who predict continuing combat, resulting in a Korean-style occupation. Obama also pledges to "begin" American troop withdrawals from Afghanistan by summer 2011, in contrast to those who demand we remain until an undefined victory. Obama told West Point cadets that "our troop commitment in Afghanistan cannot be open-ended, because the nation that I'm most interested in building is our own."
Those are naive expectations to neoconservatives and to some in the Pentagon for whom the Long War fills a vacuum left by the end of the Cold War. They will try to trap Obama in a Long War by demanding permanent bases in Iraq, slowing American withdrawals from Afghanistan to a trickle and defending secret operations in Pakistan. Where violence flares, he will be blamed for disengaging prematurely. Where situations stabilize, he will be counseled it's because we keep boots on the ground. We will keep spending dollars we don't have on wars without end.
The underlying issues should be debated now, before the future itself has been drafted for war.Without public debate and without congressional hearings, a segment of the Pentagon... more
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suzane
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2 years ago
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People call things FAILs, when they aren’t reall FAILworthy. I attempt to find the good in everything. This is another edition of some FAILs that I don’t think are FAILs.
This is not a FAIL! There is absolutely nothing wrong with a cute girl having a dildo. People should be free to express themselves sexually. Why don't you take a minute to reread The Feminine Mystique, bro.
Unit 24 has always been a difficult chapter, but it appears you've discovered one of the few words on Homework 4. Congratulations upon your excellence.
Trampstamps are the only way to roll at the Third Annual Neo-Nazi Day Parade.
This is a warning to ducks everywhere. Don't fuck with us. -Sincerely, Snow.
Come to California for the hot babes, and cheap cellular pricing.
Is this really a FAIL? Isn't this really a revolutionary tactic against the repressive cost of gas? I'll pay $4.00 a gallon, if I can take the nozzle with me.
They built a functioning hot tub. What have you done today, besides comment on this picture?
For this big-baller, maybe the hearse IS the coffin. Catch up on some FAILs that I don’t think are FAILS.
- Some FAILs that I don't think are FAILs #19
- SFTIDTAF #18
- SFTIDTAF #17
- SFTIDTAF #16
- SFTIDTAF #15
- More SFTIDTAF
People call things FAILs, when they aren’t reall FAILworthy. I attempt to find... more
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Raj Patel bravely took on Stephen Colbert earlier this week to promote his new book, The Value of Nothing. I'm a huge fan of Patel's last book, Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World's Food System.
Patel describes the premise for his new book as coming from an Oscar Wilde quote: "Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing." I look forward to getting Patel's newest book in my paws for a read -- so far, he's made some interesting points, although it's always hard to get to the heart of things sitting across the table from Colbert.
Still Patel made a valiant effort.
Prices in the free markets, Patel explained "work to hide a great deal, we need different ways of valuing the world other than relying on the free market."
Patel uses an example of a hamburger, saying that if you figure in the social and environmental costs we should be paying 200 bucks for a burger, which would of course mean we'd need to rethink the way we are eating. Sounds like a plan!
"We need to pay the full cost for what it is we consume, other wise we are dumping our environmental costs on," oh shucks, that's when Colbert cuts him off.
Colbert for his part had some great lines. Here's one:
"Cheap prices is what America was built on .. aren't you hurting the world's poor by not employing them at near-starvation wages?"
Ever the expert on developing countries, Patel deftly responds and the conversation becomes an issue of democracy. Patel contends that democracy as it was first done in Greece was based on electing a bunch of people at random to run the government each year. And Colbert replies with the hit line of the show:
"We tried picking a leader at random, it's called Sarah Palin." Touche.
I think Raj Patel has become one of the great, sane voices when it comes to food policy. I'm looking forward to what he has to say in this newest work.Raj Patel bravely took on Stephen Colbert earlier this week to promote his new book,... more
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Romel Pascual is Acting Deputy Mayor, Energy & Environment, for the City of Los Angeles. I spoke with the Deputy Mayor in Copenhagen about the role of sub-national governments in helping drive climate action, and he told me about a program in the City of Los Angeles to replace streetlights with more efficient LED lamps.
The Los Angeles LED Streetlight Program is the largest LED Streetlight retrofit program in the entire world. Los Angeles is replacing close to 140,000 streetlights across the City, with a reduction of about 40,000 tons of carbon each year, and a savings of about $10 million dollars each year in energy costs. This is a 5-year program with a total cost of $46 million dollars, and the Deputy Mayor says with a 7-year payback it just makes good economic sense, as well as being the right thing to do for the environment.
Romel says if cities across the world adopt this program and do LED streetlight retrofits, by city action alone the United States can reduce up to 40 million tons of carbon each year, just with this one program. Considering the ultimate failure of COP15 to produce a meaningful agreement, the LA program if adopted by cities across America can be a good demonstration of sub-national governments taking leadership and shaping policy, even while national governments fail to act.
Evan Kopelson is president of Green Media Consulting Inc and founder of http://greenmedianews.comRomel Pascual is Acting Deputy Mayor, Energy & Environment, for the City of Los... more
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On the Iraq war there have always been great suspicion that the main reason of the Bush administration, rather than the nonexistent weapons of mass destruction, was Iraq's oil. In the case of Afghanistan, however, natural gas, which also exist in the country, was not the first motivation.The goal was to eliminate a sanctuary of terrorism after September 11.On the Iraq war there have always been great suspicion that the main reason of the... more
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What? So you don't want to pay taxes?
Are you kidding? Paying taxes is cheap, compared to spending money for everything that makes us civilized out of pocket. Don't believe me?What? So you don't want to pay taxes?
Are you kidding? Paying taxes is... more
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asherp
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added this
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2 years ago
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The government backed “Cash for Clunkers” rebate program helped dealers sell off 2009 models, and a wave of new vehicles is coming in anticipation of the federal mandate that cars average 35.5 mpg by 2016. If you haven’t updated your vehicle in years, it will be more important than ever to analyze your needs and wants before you buy.
The choice is much more complicated than simply picking a small, mid-size, or large vehicle. If you’re considering a hybrid, you might be happy to hear the reality behind some common myths about the dependability of dual-powered vehicles.
Fleets of Toyota Prius and Ford Escape hybrid taxis in Vancouver, San Francisco, and New York City have reliably been in service for more than 200,000 miles. The first generation Toyota and Honda hybrids were introduced more than a decade ago and there are definitely thousands of satisfied hybrid owners.
Another misconception of gas-electric hybrid vehicles is that they are expensive to maintain. With the exception of the hybrid's battery system, there is some crossover in parts between hybrids and gas-powered vehicles.
The batteries in a hybrid or electric vehicle don't get better with age. No one expects the batteries in a 15-year-old electric razor to still hold a charge, and the same will probably be true for a 15-year-old hybrid vehicle. Hybrid batteries are typically covered by at least an eight-year warranty. The replacement cost for new nickel-metal hydride Prius batteries keeps dropping, but a new battery pack still costs around $2,000.
A check of the RockAuto.com online auto parts catalog shows hybrids often share fuel injectors, oxygen sensors, water pumps, brake pads, shock absorbers, air conditioners and other commonly replaced parts with conventional, gasoline-powered models. Hybrids do have unique and expensive parts like the Prius’ $3,700 power inverter, but RockAuto.com shows routine repairs and maintenance for a hybrid do not always have to cost more.
The RockAuto.com Repair Index automatically pulls prices from the company’s vast auto parts catalog based on year, make, model and type of part. It’s a quick, easy way to compare parts costs for different models and the results can be surprising.
While some cars may be appealing because they are better for the environment or great on gas savings, for the average driver some fully electric cars may not be worth the cost to purchase or maintain.
A new lithium ion battery pack for the fully-electric Tesla Roadster – with a sticker price of $101,500 – costs around $36,000. New 100 percent electric vehicles by Chevrolet, Chrysler, Nissan and Mini will have lithium battery packs that cost more than $10,000. A battery pack’s limited shelf life means a fully electric or even a gas-electric hybrid might not be the best choice for a retiree planning to drive 3,000 miles a year for 20 years and then pass the vehicle down to a favorite grandchild.
For more like this join the green transportation group at http://current.com/groups/green-transportation/The government backed “Cash for Clunkers” rebate program helped dealers... more
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Few people have heard of it, which is why its here. There is a guy (not listed below) that has a DIY system that will work for the average person. I am thinking of doing a pod on it... but, would like some group feedback first. Let me know, what do you think?
Power Your Vehicle With Water
For months, we all have had troubles as per how we would be able to fill up our car's gas and fuel tanks when the gas prices were soaring like they have never soared before. For months, we have tried to find ways and even alternative answers to this dilemma that all car owners were facing. If only water could be used as fuel for our vehicles, we would have done so even before. But is it possible to use water as fuel?
Of course, many people would answer no. And many scientists have tried looking for ways to actually make and create a vehicle that could run on water as fuel. And it looks like their efforts have not been put to waste.
You see, the HyPower Fuel Inc. has already announced to the world that they have been able to successfully make a vehicle run and function with only water as its main source of fuel. The company also did share that the vehicle is just an ordinary Volkswagen GTI with also ordinary Volkswagen car parts making up the vehicle. But the only thing not so ordinary about this Volkswagen GTI is the fact that underneath its hood, HyPower has installed an H2 Reactor (or H2R) hydrogen system.
The H2R hydrogen system is actually a system that has the capacity to produce the right amount of hydrogen that the vehicle needs. And all it needs is water so as to create the much needed hydrogen. This system makes use of electrolysis which actually converts water so much so that it becomes hydrogen gas or oxygen gas. And when this has been done, the gas can then be used to give the vehicle power to do what it has been meant to do.
Doug Bender is the president of HyPower and he does share, "This is an extremely significant advance in that a vehicle with a standard internal combustion engine can be powered with hydrogen produced onboard as needed. Other hydrogen vehicles require special storage tanks to supply the highly compressed gas to the engine. This is not yet a practical application as there are simply very few available refueling stations for these vehicles."Few people have heard of it, which is why its here. There is a guy (not listed below)... more
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As the number and type of hybrid cars grow, consumer interest in these vehicles increases as well. What initially appealed to a select group of environmentalists is now being bought and considered by more mainstream buyers.
But let's face it: The sticker price of a hybrid vehicle is significantly higher than its gasoline-powered counterpart. Does the improved fuel economy offset the extra cost? What happens if the hybrid drivetrain breaks?
We looked at a variety of issues and talked with hybrid owners and manufacturers to learn the real costs of owning one of these high-tech cars.
Price Premium vs. Incentives
Not counting the Lexus models, hybrid cars cost roughly $1,700 to $11,200 more than comparably equipped gasoline vehicles. However, buyers can offset that premium with a federal tax credit, part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The tax credit provides a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the tax bill and go as high as $3,000, depending on the model.
The hitch? Once a manufacturer sells 60,000 vehicles, the credit gradually decreases over a period of 15 months until it is phased out entirely. While the act keeps the tax credit in effect until 2010, Toyota has already reached its cap, and credit for Toyota and Lexus vehicles has been phased out. As of January 1, 2009, credits will no longer be available for Honda. (More details on hybrid tax credits are explained here.)
Making the deal even sweeter, several states offer tax deductions and incentives for hybrid purchases. The rebates vary from state to state, but when combined with the available federal tax credits, they can add up to substantial savings.
Some states also allow a hybrid owner to drive in the carpool lane, while others give discounts or free parking. A list of available federal incentives is available at Edmunds.com hybrid car tax credits page, as well as state and private hybrid incentives available at Hybrid Center.
Insurance Changes
Preliminary research by insurance companies indicates that drivers of hybrid vehicles have a lower risk of being involved in an accident than drivers of non-hybrid vehicles. As a result, Farmers Insurance currently offers a 5 percent discount to hybrid vehicle owners depending on their state, while Travelers Insurance offers a 10 percent discount to hybrid owners nationwide. But there are cases in which insurers will charge a higher premium for a hybrid, so it's important to ask your agent. If you insurer does charge more, you may want to shop around for one that doesn't.
Repairs — No Worries
Hybrid critics warn of potentially expensive repairs associated with the hybrid-specific parts, such as battery packs. "I was a little concerned initially," said Lydia Segal of Alexandria, Virginia, who owns a Lexus RX 400h , "but Toyota's had its hybrid technology out for quite a while now. Plus, I did a lot of research on the Internet and couldn't find anyone who had a problem with the hybrid system."
And there doesn't seem much reason to worry. All the hybrid-specific components in every hybrid vehicle currently on the market are covered under warranty for eight years/100,000 miles or 10 years/150,000 miles, depending on the state, but these components have been shown to have a much longer lifespan in testing. Toyota, for example, reports that its battery packs have lasted for more than 180,000 miles in testing. Every hybrid manufacturer reports that it has conducted testing of hybrid components in extreme temperatures and with repeated charge/discharge cycles with no ill effects on the hybrid system.
Regular Maintenance — a Draw
Most hybrid cars do not require any additional regular maintenance on the hybrid-specific components. An exception is the air filter on the battery system of the Ford Escape Hybrid , which needs to be replaced every 40,000 miles.
fFOR REST OF ARTICLE FOLLOW LINKAs the number and type of hybrid cars grow, consumer interest in these vehicles... more
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ELKHART, Ind.— There's no question that Albert White has earned the right to don a cap and gown for the march across the stage at the Elkhart Memorial High School graduation on May 31.
But until a few weeks ago, the 19-year-old Indiana senior wasn’t sure he could afford to.
In a year when both parents lost jobs in this city’s hard-hit manufacturing industry, White’s family has had a tough time paying basic expenses — and the $38 for the required graduation regalia was a luxury.
“I always knew I needed help, but I was always kind of shy to ask,” the teenager said.
White might have had to skip the ceremony, if not for a small payment by Principal Mark Tobolski, one of a growing number of school officials in Elkhart and elsewhere who say the economic downturn has jeopardized even this traditional rite of passage.
“Families who were making it are no longer making it now,” said Tobolski, who has seen the number of kids who need help paying for caps and gowns quadruple at his school this year.
Across the nation, school staffers privy to teen problems say more students are having a hard time footing the costs of graduation. From Florida and Texas to Indiana and California, education officials are soliciting donations, recycling old gowns and, in some cases, ponying up the money themselves.
“When you hear some of their stories, you’re like, ‘We’ll do it,’” said Vanessa Gomez-Lee, a student assistance program manager at Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, Calif. “We don’t want that to be the reason they don’t walk.”
At her school, 30 students out of nearly 400 graduating seniors need help, up from only a few in previous years, said Gomez-Lee, who has helped pull together a $1,500 fund. In Sherman, Texas, organizers at the city’s single high school have asked previous graduates to donate their robes for reuse by cash-strapped graduates, said senior counselor Michelle Burton.
And in Ocala, Fla., community donors came up with $5,000 to help more than 100 students who couldn’t afford regalia, said Suzanne McGuire, a liaison between homeless students and the Marion County School District.
“In our town, like everywhere else, things are tough,” McGuire said.
At Ocala’s Marion Technical Institute, where 28 students have received assistance so far, counselor Susannah Bender said some families planned to cover graduation expenses, but when the fee came due, had to choose between paying utility bills or paying for a cap and gown.
“One father said, ‘Without this, I don’t know what I would have told my daughter,’” she recalled.
Certainly, there always have been students who need assistance with graduation expenses, officials say. Many schools have long kept special funds for just such emergencies, small coffers that can make up the price of a prom ticket, a college test fee or other costs in special circumstances.
But now, with unemployment rising nationwide and family incomes stretched farther than ever, some schools say the demand for those resources is rising.
At Elkhart Memorial High School, teachers took up a collection earlier this year, after they noticed that several students had not placed graduation orders, said Peggy Presser, an administrator who coordinates student internships.
Under gentle questioning, the students admitted they couldn’t afford the cost. Many are from formerly comfortable families devastated by job losses that nudged Elkhart County unemployment rates to 18.8 percent in March. In previous years, perhaps three or four students would have been in that position. This year, it’s nearly 40.ELKHART, Ind.— There's no question that Albert White has earned the right... more
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"Unlike many other championship sporting events which have declined over time, Super Bowl TV ratings have not only held up well, but after a generation of fairly flat results, have begun growing again in the past 4 years and last year’s Super Bowl XLII had the most average viewers ever. Whether that’s part of a longer term growth trend, or just a short term uptick remains to be seen," reported Bill Gormann.
Well that is extremely touching but how about some numbers you didn't know. With the largest and most glorious sporting event of the year upon us, here is a look into some of the little known facts and figures surrounding the game. It's well known that Roethlisberger has been leading his team with only 67 remaining brain cells for the last 3 years. Not to mention, Kurt Warner just celebrated his 52nd birthday. Here are some numbers you don't know that you can really sink your sour cream and onion lovin' teeth into. Enjoy."Unlike many other championship sporting events which have declined over time,... more
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Engineers have figured out a way to straighten out the behemoth and preserve it intact.
Engineers have figured out a way to straighten out the behemoth and preserve... more
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"Compared to other chronic conditions like heart disease or diabetes, treating allergies may be relatively inexpensive. But for those without health insurance, personal circumstances and medical costs can quickly add up to a price that is simply out of reach. ""Compared to other chronic conditions like heart disease or diabetes, treating... more
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If oil production has peaked, its decline irreversible, and global demand continues to rise, why would prices drop?
If oil production has peaked, its decline irreversible, and global demand continues to... more
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Growing costs and vulnerability to anti-ship missiles sank the Navy's once-heralded ``stealth destroyer,'' a highly advanced warship designed to slip close to the shore unnoticed and pummel targets with big guns.Growing costs and vulnerability to anti-ship missiles sank the Navy's... more
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The Chinese Embassy in the UK this week effectively more than doubled the cost of a tourist visa - a move that will hit Brits planning to head out there for the Beijing Olympics in August, as well as thousands of other holidaymakers and gap-year travellers.
The new higher fees have also coincided with a tightening of the rules which make applying for a visa "much more complicated," according to one holiday expert. The cost of a standard "single entry" visa remains unchanged at £30 per person. But now there is an "application service fee" to pay, too. This is £35.25 per person - or £47 if you want an "express service".
The Chinese Embassy in the UK this week effectively more than doubled the cost of a... more
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There's a fascinating article over at MSNBC about heroism and what motivates people to perform heroic acts, often without any chance of recognition. It's an excellent read.There's a fascinating article over at MSNBC about heroism and what motivates... more
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